Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-01-22
SANITARY SCIENCE AND Llrg-sAvINo
How the Death Rate In Europe Has Been
Redncsd--EneIish staff silica

now INC Oebtn rate ia EUROPE has boen
Re6uOsd--EngIish Statistics.
At the annual dinner of the public
sanitary inspectors in London Mr.. Ed
win Chadwick presented some striking
comparisons showing how much more
the European governments expend for
the destruction than the preservation of
human life. Citing the fact that an APP
preparation intended to guard Naples
against a visitation of cholera remained
unpaid because the expenditures for war
ships had created deficit in the treas
ury, Mr.. Chadwick proceeded to show
what the amount expended for one YES
sci would effect if employed with view
to save rather than destroy human. He
said:
"The expenditure of 81, 200, 900 at per
cent, the cost of a big ship, would at
this rate be equal to the sanitation of
$4,000 houses, or at five inhabitants per
house the suburban average with us), it
would serve for 333, inhabitants.
Suppose the expenditure effected q re-
duction of the death rate by only five
per 1000 land ON the average of the
towns under the separate system is in
its use nine per 1000, the saving Of life
would be 1867 per annum. But to each
case of death there are at the least
twenty cases of bed-lying sickness for
each big ship. For the decade the saw
ing would be Of 1873 lives and 1888, 1888
cases Of sickness"
Mr.. Chadwick's estimates are well
supported by the results obtained by
sanitary science both in Europe and the
United States. Previous to DIR. Farr's
barrack- reform in the British army the
death rate was fifteen per 1000. But II
has since been reduced below six, while
the use of sanitary precautions in the
German army has cut the rate down To
five per 1000, which is about half the
ratio in the civil population of the same
ages. In the Indian army the old rate
of sixty-nine has been changed to twelve
in 1000, and it is calculated that in the
last decade this represents gain of 40
900 in force and the saving Of 100000
pounds in money. Russia is sadly be.
hind in the observance of sanitary pre-
cautions, and her army death rate is
three times that of Germany. Until
quite recently the average loss at each
visitation of cholera in st. Petersburg
was 10000, but sanitation finally re-
ducea it ao-fourth, although in Rus
sian towns and villages which still re
main cesspools of filth the old death rate
is unchanged.
Army reports are held to afford tht
best tests of sanitary precautions, since
In the military service regulations car
be rigidly enforced. Equally striking
results are reached in asylums and in
prisons, once the breeding places of pes
thence, but now, owning to sanitary
regulations, seats of the higher health
In the half-time pAuper schools Of
England, recruited from the lowest
classes of the community, the death
rate is claimed to be one-third tina
among children of the general popula
ton. Statistics gathered in this coun
try tend in the same direction and 60 Il
show that Mr.. Chadwick's estimates o.
the results easily reached by sanitary
science are within the mark. Comment
ing on the appropriation recently pro
posed in pestilence- smitten Spain TO
the building of war vessels. Mr.. Chad
wick contends that if the sum were ex
pended for sanitation it would in a de
cade save 1873, 1886 lives and 1906, So
cases of sickness; but such an expendi
ture would be hooted at, although in tn
last visitation of cholera Spain lost NOR
of her population than in the grea
Peninsular war. Militarianism is a rul
ing principle with the European govern
nents and they are willing to expen'
vastly greater sums to destroy thei
enemies than to preserve the lives o
their own people. This disposition ma.
be changed when it is understood tina
sanitation not only prolongs the lives o
invaiids and non-combatants, but in
creases the actual fighting force of
nation. Only in that event will tn
militant nations expend anything Xix
as much for life-saving as for ife-de
stroying.-Chicago Tribune.
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